In New York, even the best connections won't get you out of jury duty. Mayor Michael Bloomberg is reporting to court today, noting that the 8:45 a.m. start gives him an extra hour to sleep or catch up on his "to-read" list. "Doctors, architects, nurses, and day care workers serve on jury duty. Why not mayors?" his spokesman asked.
Rudy Giuliani served as a juror in 1999 when he was mayor, and decided in favor of a tenant suing a landlord. But Bloomberg's odds of being excused are high, and while the $40-a-day pay jurors get would actually be an improvement on the 2 cents Bloomberg takes home in the salary he set for himself as mayor, he says he'll turn down the court's money. (More New York City stories.)